Molded inlaid linoleum manufacture



Nav. Z'i, 19%5. I J, BERGER 2,389,836

MOLDED INLAID LINOLEUM MANUFACTURE Filed July 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1New; 27, 1945.

MOLDED J. L. BERGER INLAID LINOLEUM MANUFACTURE Filed 'July 1, 1944 2'Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGII equipment is employed. This equipment isconventional for the most part and is sufliciently well known in the artto require no detailed description. It includes a support for a backingsuch as asphalt saturated i'elt or burlap, indicated by the numeral 4 inthe various views and means for intermittently moving the backingthereover. Positioned above the support are a plurality of spacedstencils through which the color composition is deposited onto thebacking. The number of stencils employed will be dependent upon thenumber of colors appearing in the finished pattern. 'For simplicity ofillustration, the number of stencils has been limited in the drawings.The usual pressing and curing equipment will also be employed.

Figures 5 to illustrate the stencils provided for applying inlayingcomposition to form the pattern of Figure 1. The first stencil 5 iseffective for defining the position of one half of the thickness of theinterliner color composition I applied to the backing 4 as shown inFigure 11. The interliner inlay is indicated in Figures 8, 9, and 10.After application of the interliner color composition, the backing 4 ismoved to bring'that portion of the backing to which the interliner colorhas been applied under a secondstencil 6 and here color composition A isapplied. By comparing Figure 5 with Figure 1, it will be noted that thestencil 6 is provided with openings 1 which have an outlinecorresponding generally to ,the shape of the inlays A of Figure 1.

The inlaid material A may be strickled through the opening! in thestencil 6 by hand in the customary manner or may be automaticallystrickled by use of automatic equipment such as is disclosed in my priorPatent 2,024,203. By reference to Figure 8, it will be noted that theinlaying color composition A is deposited upon the backing 4 andcompletely fills the openings 1 in the stencil 6, lying substantiallyflush with the plane of the upper surface of the stencil 6. It will benoted also that the interiiner color I lies about midway of the distancebetween the stencil 6 and the backing 4. The inlaying color compositionA is disposed in an area corresponding substantially with the outline ofthe openings I of the stencil plate 6. When the stencil 6 is elevatedand the backing 4 moved to the next stencilling station, the colorcomposition A will re main firm and will have a clear outline, for thecomposition has some cohesion, sufiicient to maintain the inlays againstcollapse. Customary practice would be to apply the second inlayins colorcomposition onto the backing contiguone to the first color, the firstcolor being protected and covered by the stencil. In other words, eachstencil subsequent to the first would cover the areas where colorcomposition had been previously applied.

According to my method, however, the next step is tobreak down thesharp, well-defined edges at the upper surface of the inlay A. This maybe accomplished in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 where a bristlebrush R is moved over the stencil and into engagement with the inlay Aand is effective for breaking down the edge of the granulated materialconstituting inlay A.

The brush is not drivenbut is free to rotate and is merely drawn overthe inlays so that the bristles may penetrate to some slight extent intothe composition and breakdown or slough off a portion of the-f exposedand unsupported edges. Figure 3 shows -anedge 8 which has. been brokendown, whereas t he edge 9 which has not been movement.

areas A and Bare engaged by the brush is sharp. The dotted line l0indicates the general position the inlaying composition will assume whenthe edge 9 is broken down. When an automatic strickler is used, such asdisclosed in my patent above referred to the brush R may be mounted inadvance of the color applyi blades. In hand strickling, the brush may bemounted for travel across the stencil and pushed or drawn thereacross bythe workmen prior to the application of color to the stencil plate. Aflat brush may be used and brought down from above onto the colorcomposition and then given a slight lateral The mechanism employed mayvary so long as it is-efiective for breaking down the unsupported edges.

The mechanical disturbance of the edge portion is eii'ected while thebacking with the inlaying composition A is' disposed at a stencillingstation where stencil II is positioned. Stencil II is provided withopenings l2 through which color composition is deposited upon thebacking. It will be noted in Figure 9 that the inlay A has its uppersurface in the plane of the upper surface of the stencil ll. After theedges of the inlaying color A have been broken down, the color B is ap-'composition through the stencil openings I: to I form inlay B andcompletely fill the stencil openings, a soft blending effect is obtainedat the line of juncture where the contiguous areas abut due to theirregular breaking down of the edges and the subsequent filling in ofsuch areas with inlaying color composition B.

The backing material 4 with inlay colors A and B applied moves to thenext stencilling station where color C is applied. It will be noted thatthe openings l3 in stencil l4 are of an area corresponding to the totalarea of the pattern elements 2, that is, the combined areas oi inlays A,B, and C. v The first step at stencil I4 is to engage the colorcomposition with a bristle brush or other mechanism eifective forbreaking down the edges of the inlays which will abut the inlaying colorcomposition C which is about to be applied throughout the stencil l4.Where in abutting engagement, there will, or course, be no breaking downsince both are contiguous and one supports the other. After breakingdown of the unsupported edges, the inlaying composition C is appliedthrough the stencil openings l3 and an irregular blended terspersion ofcolor compositions at the upper surface even though the previouslyapplied color composition lies in the plane of the upper surface of thestencil plate. Thisis due to the fact that the color composition isunconsolidated and is in granular form. This may be objectionable inthat the last applied color composition C in the illustrated embodimentmay predominate over the whole area. For that reason, I prefer to toform a blended juncture zone between said remove the upper surfaceofpthe inlaying composition. This is effected in stencil it aftercompletion of the inlaying of color composition C. This may beaccomplished by means of a rotating brush such as described in my Patent2,241,051 which is effective for removing all of the color compositionwhich lies above the plane of the lower surface of the stencil plate.The brush will be positioned so as to engage the color compositionsafter the stencilling of color composition C has been completed. I haveillustrated this in Figure 4 where I have shown a bristle brushl5 whichis effective for sweeping out all of the inlaying composition which liesabove the plane of the lower surface of the stencil plate 14. This brushis rotated at substantial speed so as to sweep the composition out ofthe stencil opening I3. This presents as the exposed upper surface ofthe finished product a portion of the in-' laid color compositions A, B,and C which lie below the upper surface. This step also eliminates anyobjectionable interspersing which may have occurred. At the same time,there is some slight blending effected by the rotating brush l5 and suchblending enhances the irregular interspersion which is effected at thejuncture lines by breaking down the edges.

The backing material 4 then moves to a fifth stencil 16 Where theremaining portion of interliner I is applied. This completes the patternand the material is then consolidated under heat and pressure and thenstoved or cured.

The completed material is shown in Figure 2 subsequent to pressing andembossing of the interliners. Corresponding numbers and letters havebeen applied to this view.

In order to depict the gradual and almost imperceptible blending of theareas A, B, and C into one another at the zones of juncture, I haveshown in Figure 1 the color A by small dash lines, the color B by dots,and the color C by small circles. It is difiicult to show the blendingin black and white but from the foregoing description, it will be clearto those skilled in the art how my method is performed and the nature ofthe final product produced. Material actually produced by my methodshows a blending of the colors not heretofore attainable.

While I have illustrated and described certain embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood the same "is not so limited but may beotherwise embodied and practiced within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of molded. inlaid linoleum, the steps of applyinginlaying color composition through a stencil opening to form an inlaidarea, irregularly breaking down said inlay along an edge portionthereof, and thereafter applying another inlaying color compositionthrough a second stencil opening into contiguous relationship with thefirst applied inlay along said edge portion to form a blended juncturezone between said inlays.

2. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps of applyinggranulated inlaying color composition onto a backing in a predetermineddefined area, mechanically disturbing the granules adjacent an edgeportion of said area to irregularly break down the inlay along such edgeportion only, and subsequently applying another inlaying colorcomposition onto the backing in an area adjacent to the first appliedinlay with the line of juncture betweensaidinlays defined by said brokendown edge portion inlays.

3. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps of applyinginlaying color composition onto a backing in a predetermined definedarea, pressing a brush into engagement with the color composition soapplied to break down an edge portion of said area, and applying asecond inlaying color composition to said backing contiguous with saidbroken down edge portion to form a blended juncture zone between saidinlays. 4

4. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps of applyinggranulated inlaying color composition onto a backing in a predetermineddefined area, mechanically disturbing the granules adjacent an edgeportion of said area to irregularly break down the inlay along suchportion, and subsequently applying a second inlaying color compositionover the first applied composition and in a predetermined defined areain addition thereto adjoining said first inlaid area, the irregularlydisposed edge of the first area being filled with said second inlayingcolor composition.

5. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps of applyinggranulated inlaying color composition onto a backing in a predetermineddefined area, mechanically disturbing the granules adjacent an edgeportion of such area to irregularly break down the inlay along suchportion, subsequently applying a second inlaying color composition oversaid first inlay and into a predetermined defined area contiguousthereto with said inlays being joined by an irregular juncture lineformed of the granules of both in-- lays irregularly disposed, andthereafter removing from the upper surface of said inlays a portionthereof to expose aportion therebelow.

6. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum formed of a plurality ofareas of molded inlaid linoleum composition irregularly joined to give apleasing shaded effect, the steps or applying a, plurality of granulatedinlaying color compositions to a backing at a series of stencilingstations, breaking down the edge portion of each area which will liecontiguous to another area and will be blended therewith, said breakingdown being effected prior to the depositing of inlaying colorcomposition into contiguous relae tionship with the broken down edge,repeating these steps until the entire shaded. area of the linoleum hasbeen inlaid, and thereafterremoving a. portion of the upper surface ofsaid granules of inlaying color composition to expose a portiontherebelow.

'7. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps of applyinggranulated inlaying color composition onto a backing in a predetermineddefined area through a stencil opening,

moving said backing to a second stenciling station and positioning saidinlay within an opening -in said second stencil having an area greaterface of the stencil late, said second inlay being disposed in contiguousrelationship with the first inlay with said broken down edg portionforming a blended juncture zone between said inlays.

.8. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps comprisingdepositing comminuted inlaying composition through a serie of stencilsonto separate areas of -a backin in a series of successive steps, aftereach successive depositing step engaging the preyiouly. applied inlayingcomposition to break down the edge portion thereof prior to theapplication of inlaying composition to a contiguous area to form ablended juncture zone between said areas.

9. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum. the steps of applyingmottled granulated inlaying color composition onto a backing in a,predetermined defined area, mechanically disturbing the granulesadjacent an edge portion of such area to irregularly break down theinlay along such edge, applying a second mottled granulated inlayincolor composition onto said backing with a portion thereof contiguous tothe previously applied area along said edge portion, mechanicallyengaging both previously applied inlaying color compositions to breakdown an exposed edge portion thereof, and thereafter depositing a thirdmottled granulated inlaying color composition contiguous to the brokendown edge portions of the first and second applied mottled inlayingcolor compositions.

10. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps of applyinggranulated inlaying color composition onto a backing in a predetermineddefined area, pressing a plurality of closely spaced projections intosaid inlaying color composition to disturb the granules adjacent an edgeportion of said area and irregularly break down the inlay along such ede, subsequently applying a second inlay in contiguous relationship withthe first inlay with the broken down edge portion forming a blendedjuncture zone between said inlays, and further blending said inlays inthe June. ture zone by brushing away a substantial portion of thelinoleum composition constituting said inlays from the entire uppersurface area thereof.

11. In the manufacture of molded inlaid linoleum, the steps ofdepositing granulated inlaying color composition onto a backing throughan opening in a stencil positioned at a stenciling station to fill'thestencil opening substantially fiush with the upper surface of thestencil, mov-i ing said backing with its applied inlay to bring theinlay into a second stencilling station with 7 said inlay positionedwithin an opening in a second stencil with the upper surface of theinlay pletely fill the same substantially flush with the upper surfaceof the stencil, said second inlaying color composition being strickleddirectly onto the first inlay and into said adjacent area to effect ablending of the two inlaying color compositions at the zone of juncturebetween the first inlay and the inlayin color composition appliedthrough said second stencil into said adjacent area defined by thebroken edge of the first inlay.

7 JOHN L. BERGER.

